Patient Survey Reveals Poor Adherence to Prescribed Medication Therapy, Explores Adherence Predictors

Many Americans are not adhering to prescribed medication regimens, indicates a new patient survey commissioned by the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA). The survey asked 1,020 adults about specific non-adherent behaviors, graded the responses, and determined that participants with chronic medical conditions averaged a C+ in medication adherence. One in seven respondents with chronic conditions received an F. Behaviors tracked included whether patients failed to fill prescriptions, whether they took a lower dose than prescribed, and whether they stopped a prescription early. The survey also revealed that the “biggest predictor of medication adherence was patients’ personal connection (or lack thereof) with a pharmacist or pharmacy staff,” notes NCPA in a news release. The role of pharmacist communication in increasing medication adherence was the subject of an article(PDF), “Pharmacist Communication Shown to Increase Medication Adherence and Reduce Errors” in the May 2010 NABP Newsletter.